do you have any tips for first time DMs! i'm doing a quick 5-7 session campaign with some close friends to ease me into it and i'm not sure what to expect!
Sure! Ive gotten a couple similar questions abt this, so I’ll answer that here! These are some tips that I think have helped keep me grounded as a DM the most.
1.) Learn to improvise and prepare for the unexpected.
I’ve personally always just wanted to take an improv class to help me with this, as my mind can often have a brain fart. But the more practice you have as a DM, the better you’ll be at improvising during the unexpected. Because trust me, your players WILL stump you and ask some questions you’re not prepared for. Just generally be ready for that and try not to let it frustrate you. It’s expected, and part of the process. Again, you’ll master these things with practice. So don’t be intimidated.
2.) As a counter to my last point, try not to overprepare.
Over preparation can quite literally kill your flexibility and creativity. By over preparation, I don’t mean preparing for the general likely outcomes of certain plot points. That is what you should probably already be doing. No, I mean doing what I once did by writing the exact narrations for every tiny little thing that I could possibly think of happening, even if it had a very slim chance of ever truly happening. Keep descriptions short and simple and only include the basic information that you need. Because often times, you don’t even have the time to review the entirety of your notes while in the middle of DMing.
3.) Don’t try to steer the story where you want it to go. Let your players decide where they want to go and what they want to try.
I get it. Sometimes we have a certain idea we have for how we’d like our campaigns to go. But, and forgive me if this sounds rude, you simply cannot be so narrow minded as a DM. We’re all guilty of this, but we have to allow some room for our players and ourselves to breath. Try to give them a choice and make them feel like they’re exploring a real, open world. Linear plots are fine and all, but the more freedom you give your players, the more fun everyones gonna have. Obviously, though, freedom is a totally different story than derailment. You do not have to put up with derailment from players.
4.) On that note, don’t be afraid to break the immersion sometimes if you need a moment to think about something or prepare an outcome in your head.
I know, I know. It’s DM taboo to break the immersion and not be 100% prepared for everything. But I think that’s an unrealistic standard to adhere to. Your players should understand you’re just human. Sometimes I quite literally have to tell my players “Give me a minute, I didn’t have any notes prepared for that.” while I think about what i’m gonna do. It’s totally fine to need a minute to collect yourself and review your notes. Players are fucking crazy sometimes, so you can’t be prepared for everything! Don’t even be afraid to call for a break while you think about what to do. Sometimes that’ll even build some suspense.
5.) Learn when to bend the rules.
Rules, especially for DnD, are meant to be broken. If you’re so caught up in following every tiny little rule there is in the books, 9 times out of 10, you and your players are gonna have a terrible time. Rules help guide the game and provide some structure and balance, so i’m not saying to throw them all out the window. But you have to learn when it’s appropriate to bend the rules sometimes. This is all dependent on who you’re playing with, as well. The rule of cool is a good rule-bending example that still maintains structure and integrity of the game!
6.) Care about and play into your players’ backstories!
This is quite literally my favorite thing to do as DM. But i’ve noticed there are so many DM’s out there that simply just do not care about their players’ backstories, nor will they do anything interesting with them. It makes no sense, because the story is about the players, right? So pay attention, even add little clues and reels into the story to lure the players’ in. I personally like to reward my players with backstory stuff the more they develop and help their characters grow. Players fucking love when backstory stuff comes up, though, and I guarantee you will too when you get the hang of it. And you can do it even in a one shot, too. It’s not impossible. I could write a whole other post all about this step, because I feel it is just that valuable.
7.) Finally, you’re not required to be a DM for anyone.
This sounds odd at first, I know. But DMing is a tough fucking job that not everyone is prepared for. And it can be doubly hard if you’re playing with players who just want to derail and destroy your campaign, too. If you run into someone who just wants to throw all your hard work in the garbage, you are not required to continue that campaign. You’ll just be miserable in the end, working so hard for people who don’t care to appreciate it. So be picky about who you DM for, because your comfort and happiness are important too.
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